Clasp for bracelets, watchstraps and the like

ABSTRACT

975,580. Latch fastenings. N. ST. J. PAINT. April 23, 1963 [May 7, 1962], No. 17533/62. Heading E2A. A clasp for a watch strap or bracelet or the like comprises a clasp body adapted to be attached to one end of the bracelet strap or the like and a sliding member 1 adapted to be attached to another end and to be slidably received in the clasp body, the sliding member being engageable by a latch device slidably received in an inclined runway in the clasp body to allow the sliding member to move in one direction relative to the body and to restrain movement in the reverse direction and means for retracting the latch device from the sliding member to release the sliding member and to allow movement of the sliding member in the reverse direction. In the construction shown the body comprises channel section member 4 and a base 8 which closes the open side of the channel and which is secured to the channel by, for example, tags passing through slots and peened over. The channel section member 4 has its base extended at one end, the extension being bent to form an eye for connection to the one end of the bracelet, strap or the like and the base 8 has both ends 9, 10 bent back within the channel to form a guide for the detent 11. The detent is loaded by a spring 12 anchored between the base 8 and the turned back end 10 and the means for retracting the detent comprises a projection 13 on the detent and a flat 14 on a spindle 15 which is received in apertures in the sides of the channel member and which is rotatable by a pair of linked levers 16 so that the flat retracts the detent from engagement with the rack teeth. The linked levers have inwardly directed projections or dimples (not shown) which co-operate with cavities in the side walls of the body to form a detent to retain the levers in the position in which the flat 14 is out of engagement with the detent. The sliding member 1 has an eye 2 at one end for engagement with an end of the strap, bracelet or the like.

March 30, 1965 N. ST. JOHN PAINT CLASP FOR BRACELETS, WATCHSTRAPS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1963 r 1/ T l il :|I| a T a 1 Z- fl FM m fi l humwnm n m F M v vHH" |-|l Z, N i, u llllc 5 a f/ i n l l l l h Vlllnllll 3,175,279 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 3,175,270 CLASP FQR BRACELETS, WATCHSTRAPS AND Tim LIKE Neville St. John Paint, 29 The Pellet, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands Filed Apr. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 275,598 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 7, 1962,

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) This invention relates to clasps for bracelets, watchstraps and the like, and more particularly to an adjustable clasp which acts effectively to vary the length of the bracelet, strap or the like.

The invention consists in a clasp for a bracelet, watchstrap or the like comprising a clasp body adapted to be attached to one end of the bracelet, strap or the like and a sliding member adapted to be attached to another end, to be clasped to the said one end, and to be slidably received in the clasp body, the sliding member and clasp body having a co-operating ratchet and pawl device to allow the sliding member to move in one direction relative to the body and to restrain movement in the reverse direction, and means for retracting the pawl from the ratchet to allow movement in the reverse direction to loosen the clasp.

The invention will be further described with reference to one embodiment, which is given by way of example only, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, larger than full size, of a preferred form of clasp according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the clasp of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation thereof.

In the drawings it will be seen that the sliding member consists of an arcuate strip or slider 1 of metal having one end bent over a to form an eye 2 for connection to a strap or bracelet portion. The curvature is such as to supply a degree of conformation to the human wrist and on the concave side of the strip a series of transverse ratchet teeth 3 are formed.

The clasp body includes a channel section casing 4 having the base of the channel extended at one end, the extension being bent back to form an eye 5 for connection to the other strap or bracelet portion to be clasped. It will be noted that the eye 5 forms a convenient contact point for supporting the curved strip 1 against the flat base of the channel section casing 4. The sides of the channel have apertures 7 aligned on an axis 6. The open side of the channel section casing 4 is closed by a base 8 comprising a strip of metal having both ends 9 and 10 bent back within the casing 4. The base 8 is secured to the casing by means not shown, e.g. tags passed through slots and peened over.

A pawl 11 is slidable between the ends 9 and 10 and is urged upwards into engagement with the strip or slider 1 for co-operation with the ratchet teeth thereof by a leaf spring 12. having one end anchored between the base 8 and the turned back end 10. The pawl 11 has an abutment 13 extending through a slot in the end 9 for engagement with a flat 14 formed in a spindle 15 passing through the holes 7 and operable by a pair of linked levers 16.

In operation, the pawl 11 is slidable in an inclined runway formed between the ends 9 and 10 and is urged upwardly by the spring 12, the flat 14 being generally parallel with the runway. The slider is introduced into the clasp body and is capable of moving from left to right as illustrated in the drawing, but not right to left as it is restrained by co-operation of the pawl 11 and one of the ratchet teeth 3.

Also it will be seen that the inclination of the runway is in such a direction that the friction between the pawl and the co-operating surface of the slider is increased during movement of the slider to the left since such movement tends to draw the pawl up the runway and into tighter engagement with the slider. Thus the bracelet may be tightened but not loosened. To loosen the bracelet the pawl 11 is released from the slider and held down by rotating the spindle 15 clockwise by means of the linked levers 16 so that the circular part of the spindle engages the abutment 13 and forces the pawl to the right and down the runway. Slider 1 may then be removed.

It is to be noted that the end of slider 1 remote from the eye 2 comes beneath the eye 5, and therefore the strap or bracelet to which the eye 5 is attached, and so is not visible when the clasp is in use.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. Thus, the linked levers may have inwardly directed projections or dimples co-operating with small concavities on the side walls of the body to form a detent to retain the linked levers 16 and spindle 14 in the locking position.

I claim:

1. A clasp for a watchstrap, bracelet or the like, comprising a clasp body having means for attachment to one end of the bracelet, strap or the like, a sliding member having means for attachment to another end, to be clasped to the said one end, said sliding member being slidably received in the clasp body and being formed on one surface with a plurality of indentations, there being a runway formed in the body, a pawl slidable in the runway, spring means urging the pawl toward the sliding member whereby sliding movement of the sliding member in one direction is inhibited by engagement between the pawl and sliding member, a rotatable spindle having a cut away portion providing a flat surface thereon adjacent the runway, the pawl having a projection slidable on the fiat surface as the pawl slides in the runway, and means for rotating the spindle so that the fiat surface obtrudes into the path of the projection and retracts the pawl along the runway away from the sliding member to allow movement of the latter in the said one direction.

2. A clasp for a watchstrap, bracelet or the like, comprising a clasp body having means for attachment to one end of the bracelet, strap or the like, a sliding member having means for attachment to another end, to be clasped to the said one end, said sliding member being slidably received in the clasp body and being formed on one surface with a plurality of indentations, there being a runway formed in the body, a pawl slidable in the runway along a path inclined at an acute angle to the direction of sliding movement of the sliding member, spring means urging the pawl towards the sliding member whereby sliding movement of the sliding member in one direction is inhibited by engagement between the pawl and the sliding member, and means for retracting the pawl against the action of the spring means to allow movement of the sliding member in the said one direction, said retracting means including a rotatable spindle having a cut away portion providing a flat surface thereon adjacent the runway, the pawl having a projection slidable on the flat as the pawl slides in the runway, and means for rotating the spindle so that the flat obtrudes into the path of the projection and retracts the pawl along the runway away from the sliding member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 813,838 2/06 Steinberg 24-230 1,419,469 6/ 22 Paschke. 1,701,060 2/29 Armbrust.

FOREIGN PATENTS 3 6,125 8/86 Germany. 688,386 3/53 Great Britain. 199,25 9 10/3 8 Switzerland.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

2. A CLASP FOR A WATCHSTRAP, BRACELET OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A CLASP BODY HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO ONE END OF THE BRACELET, STRAP OR THE LIKE, A SLIDING MEMBER HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO ANOTHER END, TO BE CLASPED TO THE SAID ONE END, SAID SLIDING MEMBER BEING SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN THE CLASP BODY AND BEING FORMED ON ONE SURFACE WITH A PLURALITY OF INDENTATIONS, THERE BEING A RUNWAY FORMED IN THE BODY, A PAWL SLIDABLE IN THE RUNWAY ALONG A PATH INCLINED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDING MEMBER, SPRING MEANS URGING THE PAWL TOWARDS THE SLIDING MEMBER WHEREBY SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDING MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION IS INHIBITED BY ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE PAWL AND THE SLIDING MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR RETRACTING THE PAWL AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE SPRING MEANS TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDING MEMBER IN THE SAID ONE DIRECTION, SAID RETRACTING MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SPINDLE HAVING A CUT AWAY PORTION PROVIDING A FLAT SURFACE THEREON ADJACENT THE RUNWAY, THE PAWL HAVING A PROJECTION SLIDABLE ON THE FLAT AS THE PAWL SLIDES IN THE RUNWAY, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SPINDLE SO THAT THE FLAT OBTRUDES INTO THE PATH OF THE PROJECTION AND RETRACTS THE PAWLS ALONG THE RUNWAY FROM THE SLIDING MEMBER. 